Sleeping Beauty
by YouKnowWhatTheySayAboutHope
Summary: Alison has only seen Spencer awake once since the night of the tragedy. Since Mona's final attempt to fit in, since Aria lost her best friend the minute she lost her husband. Or, when Spencer discovers EzrA's involvement in the A-Game. Multi-chapter
1. Chapter 1

**February 28** **th** **2020**

Alison raced up the steps, slightly out of breath, in a hurry to get to Hanna's and Caleb's loft. A mixture of worry, sorrow and relief was flooding her thoughts as she rang the doorbell. The too annoying _driiiing_ rang through the air.

To Alison's surprise, Mona answered.

For a second, Alison just stared at her. Then, without bothering to say hello, the blonde pushed past her former classmate into the apartment, marching straight into the living room. Hanna and Emily, who had come separately, were already waiting there, standing, while Aira sat huddled up in her chair as always, with the same haunted expression as usual.

* * *

 _July 22_ _nd_ _2019_

"To Aria!"

Spencer, Hanna, Emily, Alison and Ezra stood around the smiling brunette, champagne glasses in the air. It had been Ezra's idea, for the girls to celebrate Aria's birthday at their apartment, instead of in a restaurant like the girls usually did, and Spencer thought that had been a great idea. The night was beautiful, and Ezra's and Aria's apartment cozy.

Suddenly, the sound shattering of glass cut the air. What was once the champagne glass lay next to Ezra's shoe, the drink poured over his clothes and the floor before he had even had the chance to take a sip.

"Crap," the owner of The Brew muttered as he rushed to the kitchen to grab a broom. "I'm so sorry, Aria."

"Don't worry about it," the birthday girl quickly replied. "Spence, hold my drink so I can pour Ezra a new one. Everyone, wait a sec."

The next thing Spencer remembered was waking up, uncomfortably squished in an armchair with Hanna, with a throbbing headache. Rubbing her temples, the young Hastings gazed up. Something wasn't right.

Alison and Emily were cuddled up on the couch, Alison's head resting on Emily's shoulder, while Aria was curled up in one of the arm chairs, with Ezra slumbering on the floor right in front of it.

It wasn't until then that Spencer noticed a black Helium balloon, right in the center of the room. Spencer held her breath in anticipation and fear as it slowly turned. Finally, she saw the message, messily scribbled across it in bright red ink.

 _Did you really think you could escape me that easily, bitches? -A_

Everyone else in the room woke with a start at the sound of Spencer's scream.

* * *

 **February 28** **th** **2020**

Alison had a number of questions directed at the crowd awkwardly standing in the center of the room, but the high school teacher only needed one answered immediately.

"What is _she_ doing here?" she demanded, tilting her head at an determined-looking Mona behind her, who opened her mouth to defend herself. However, Hanna was quicker.

"She can help us, Ali," the fashion designer pointed out. "She can help _Spencer._ "

At the mention of her friend's name, Alison's gaze softened. "Can I see her?"

Hanna nodded, so Ali turned and made her way towards the bedroom. Slowly, the blonde pushed the door open and stepped inside.

* * *

 _July_ _28_ _th_ _2019_

It had been a few days since the A-message, and none of the girls had heard anything else. Hanna had called Mona in Paris, who had assured her that Mary and Alex Drake were trapped in her dollhouse, with no way of escaping. However, once Hanna had explained the situation, Mona had panicked.

"I'm handing them over to the police," she had announced immediately afterwards. "And I'm moving back to Rosewood. If there is a copycat trying to intimidate us, I'm going to help bring them down."

Unlike Mona, Emily wasn't ready for A's return. "Alex Drake must have ordered that balloon ages ago," she argued. "Or she sent it to us from Mona's dollhouse. No way there is a new A. We have two daughters. They cannot grow up in a world where A is hunting us- _them_ down all the time!"

Spencer wanted- no, _needed_ answers.

Which is why she soon after found herself back at Aria's apartment.

"Do you want anything to drink?" Ezra asked. Aria was in the bathroom, so it was just the two of them at the moment.

"Water, please," Spencer replied while studying the window. Dust bunnies were gathered on the sill. Same with all the other windows, as well as the air shafts in the room. "So do you have a key under the doormat or outside the apartment? In case you forget yours?"

Ezra raised an eyebrow. "My wife was kidnapped before. I'm not enough of an idiot to leave a key to anyone who can take it."

"Oh ok," Spencer sighed as Ezra passed her the glass of water she requested. "Thanks. So, who has a key to the apartment. Besides you, Aria, and me?"

"No-one," the former teacher admitted. An awkward silence hung in the air, until the bathroom dirt opened and Aria stepped into the room.

"So, who wants to watch a movie?" She somewhat cheerily asked, and Spencer forced a smile.

* * *

 **February 28** **th** **2020**

In the dim light Ali could recognize the shape of her friend, curled up underneath the bed sheets, dark hair sprawled across the pillow.

Even though Alison was well aware of what was going on, she was still surprised that the doorbell and the girls' bickering didn't wake her.

With a sigh, Ali sat on the edge of the bed.

"Hey," she whispered, despite knowing that Spencer wouldn't respond. "Hanna called this morning. Said you'd eaten something while she was out with Caleb." With a smile the high school teacher recalled Hanna's excitement over the phone as she had informed her that for the first time in two days, the plate that she had left outside of Spencer's room had been returned empty.

As if the sleeping brunette were awake, Ali continued. "So Hanna is taking the baby to infant music class with me and Grace and Lily every Saturday. Usually, Ashley and Pam pick them up afterwards, while Em and I eat lunch with Caleb and Hanna." A quiet laugh escaped her lips. "You know, before, you were so great with Grace and Lily. The way you played with them, the way you talked to them. They miss you." Tears began to form in Ali's eyes. "And so do I."

* * *

 _September 26_ _th_ _2019_

In order to calm her wife down, Ali had suggested a romantic picnic in a nearby park. Willing to do anything for her friends, Spencer had volunteered to babysit the twins while they were out. But although she hated to admit it, wanting to help out Emily was not the only reason why she had offered to come over.

The opening of the front door had interrupted Spencer's thoughts. Aria entered, wearing the usual crazy Aria-outfits, with the usual bright smile on her face.

"Hey," she greeted. "Sorry I'm late."

"No problem," Spencer replied. "So, where did Ezra say he was going while you babysit the twins with me."

Aria raised her eyebrows in surprise at the question. "He's just gonna spend a few hours at his ?"

"No reason," the taller brunette lied, doing her best to look calmer than she was.

Aria had been practically attached to Ezra since the A-message at her birthday. She had followed him around everywhere, never letting him out of sight, not falling asleep unless he was right next to her and waking up the minute he got up. Spencer knew this because the writer had complained about it really loudly to Caleb in The Brew. Although, who could blame her, after all she'd been through, to not want to be alone.

Aria stared at her friend for a second, but then let it go. Suddenly, a crash was heard behind them. Both girls spun around. Aria let out a yelp as she grabbed the nearest object, which happened to be a dictionary, and as Spencer protectively stood in front of her friend.

Turns out it was just Lily, who knocked over a stack of blocks. Letting out a sigh of relief, Spencer leaned over and picked up the toddler. She could feel Aria relax next to her. But only by a little bit.

After a moment of silence, the smaller girl finally asked, "Spencer, who do you wrote that message?"

Spencer tensed up at the question. "I have an idea," she cautiously started, avoiding her best friend's eyes. "But I need more evidence before I can tell you."

"You know you can al-" Aria started, but was interrupted by the familiar _biiiings_ of text messages coming in.

Both girls' eyes widened in realisation. Trembling slightly, Spencer reached into the pocket of the jeans she was wearing to pull out her phone. At the sight of the message, the young Hastings' heart sank.

 _Keep a close eye on the babies. You don't want anything to happen to them, do you? -A_

"I'm calling Alison," Spencer gasped as she took a screenshot of the text.

"Oh my God," Aria breathed. "Who is sick enough to threaten a toddler?"

 _Your husband,_ Spencer wanted to say, but didn't.

* * *

 **February 28** **th** **2020**

A stream of light entered the dark room as the door opened.

"Hey," Mona carefully whispered as she approached the bed, where Spencer's sleeping form rested under the blankets. Ali just ignored her.

"Have you seen her awake? Like since the incident?" the small brunette asked softly, not paying attention to the other girl's hostility.

"Once." Spencer had just come out of the shower, after scrubbing every inch of her skin like she usually did. "She didn't say much, though." Only a few quick apologies about being such a burden.

" _Of course you're not a burden," Alison told her. "Hanna doesn't mind letting you sleep in the baby's room at all." She reached out to squeeze the tall brunette's hand. "We're just happy you're OK. We love you, Spence."_

 _The former lobbyist didn't reply. There was an awkward moment of silence, during which Alison refused to let go of her cousin's hand._

 _Spencer finally asked, "How is Aria?"_

" _She just lost her husband." Emily was standing in the doorway. "And her best friend." The accusation in her voice was completely evident. Spencer went back to sleep minutes later._

Mona reached out to tuck a dark brown lock that rested on Spencer's face behind her ear. She was so gentle, as if any move could break the sleeping beauty. Wearily, Alison gazed at the horizontal red scratch on the young Vanderwaal's throat.

"This is all my fault," the petite brunette whispered, tears brimming in her eyes.

 _Yes,_ Alison thought. _It is._


	2. Chapter 2

**February 28** **th** **2020**

"Ali, we need to pick up Lily and Grace." Emily was leaning against the doorway, with Hanna right behind her.

The blonde, still on Spencer's bed next to Mona, lifted her gaze. For a moment, it looked like she was going to argue, but as soon as she looked into her wife's eyes, she knew she couldn't stay.

Before Alison left the room, she approached the head of the bed, and pressed her lips to Spencer's forehead.

 _October 14_ _th_ _2019_

Spencer breathed in the scent of fall coming from her pumpkin spice latte. Fall in Rosewood was beautiful, and Spencer was going to absorb every bit of it.

"Hey," a familiar voice was heard behind the youngest Hastings, who turned around to face Mona.

The former doll shop owner was wearing a black beret, as usual, with a brown leather jacket and a black skirt, completely contrasting Spencer in her khaki trench coat and navy blue trousers.

An awkward silence hung in the air. That was when Spencer realized it.

"You know who A is," the lobbyist shot at the petite brunette, who flinched.

"I have an idea," she admitted begrudgingly.

Spencer let out an angry huff. "And you didn't think about sharing this information?"

"Aria would _never_ believe me!" The other woman pointed out. "He's her _husband,_ and I'm just crazy Mona."

"So you also think it's him," Spencer muttered, causing Mona to raise an eyebrow.

"Also?"

When Spencer didn't reply, the smaller girl grabbed Spencer's arm and made her way towards the exit.

"I have to show you something."

 **February 28** **th** **2020**

Alison stood in front of Spencer's room, waiting impatiently for Mona to follow her. When the petite brunette however made no move that would indicate that she was planning on getting up, the high school teacher raised an eyebrow at Hanna.

"Let her be," the blonde responded, making her way down the hallway.

"You mean leave her alone with Spencer? Are you crazy?" Alison hissed.

At that, her friend spun around, anger beginning to blaze in her eyes. "Just stop it, Ali. You're as bad as Caleb," she snapped.

"The bitch tried to kill Spencer before. And me. And you," Ali retorted.

"The bitch," Hanna growled. "Has saved our asses more times than I can count on one hand."

Wordlessly, Alison grabbed her coat and stalked out of the door of the loft. Throwing Hanna an apologetic look over her shoulder, Emily followed.

 _October 14_ _th_ _2019_

"So why do you think Ezra is A?" Mona asked as she pulled out her keys to unlock her apartment.

"You remember the first A message at Aria's birthday?" Mona nodded. "There are no signs of forced entry. I checked. And no-one other than Ezra and Aria and I have a key, so whoever planted the balloon there was at the celebration all night."

Mona pushed the door open and went through, into the apartment. Spencer followed.

"Plus, he is the only one who didn't have the same champagne as us. He dropped his glass before he could have any, so he had to get himself a new one," the lobbyist continued. "I think he drugged it."

Mona gave her a quizzical look. "You think he drugged your drinks so he could put a balloon in the room?"

"Not only to put a balloon in the room. I checked my phone settings a few days later. It was modified to record us. Like when you were A.

So when I guessed that Ezra's the new A, I decided to test him," Spencer continued. "Aria had been practically glued to him the past few weeks, so I thought if I could get Aria away from him, he'd take the chance to send an A-message."

"And when you got one, you knew it was him."

Nodding with understanding, Mona took Spencer's hand and led her into the bathroom.

"What are we doing here?" The taller of the two asked.

"Look," Mona opened a cabinet next to the sink. Spencer leaned over, glancing over the other girl's shoulder. At first, it seemed like the inside of any other cabinet; there was a pile of cosmetic bags placed next to a row of boxes with toiletries stacked over another, just like in Spencer's own bathroom.

Spencer wasn't surprised when Mona easily took out the back of the cabinet, revealing a secret compartment. She knew that nothings was as it seemed when it came to Mona.

Carefully, the petite brunette reached into the compartment and pulled out a pile of picture and notes, held together by a rubber band. Slowly, Mona removed it, and soon the two of them began spreading them out on the tiles of the floor.

Spencer began to recognize them. "How did you get these?" She gasped. The question was rhetorical; they both knew the answer. This was Mona, after all.

Some were images of Ezra's lair in Ravenswood. Some of his desk at Rosewood high, some of the apartment, some of the Fitzgerald theatre. Amidst the pictures, there were a few papers as well. Electricity bills. Clothing -or more, hoodie and glove- receipts.

"You've been collecting these for a while," Spencer realized.

Mona nodded. "Before A.D. revealed her identity to me, I was sure it was Ezra. When it turned out to be Alex, I guessed I was wrong."

"You think Ezra worked with A.D.?" the young Hastings asked.

"Exactly." A pause. "So, what are we going to do about it?"

 **February 28** **th** **2020**

Emily was silent on the drive to pick up the twins. Even though she didn't say so, Alison knew it was because her wife didn't agree with the way she spoke about Mona.

The familiar _biiiing_ of a text message sliced through the silence. Out of the corner of her eye, Alison saw Emily's hands grip the steering wheel tighter at the sound, and although she didn't want to admit it, Ali's own muscles had tensened at the noise.

Shakily, the blonde reached into her purse to pull out her phone. A few seconds later, she let out a sigh of relief. It was just Hanna.

 _Thanks a lot. Mona left right after you did because you made her uncomfortable._

Choosing to ignore her friend's text, Ali stuffed the device back into her pocket. Looking to the driver's side and at Emily, she noticed there were tears brimming in her eyes.

"This is ridiculous," the swimmer groaned. "At every text we get, we _still_ jump. We _still_ panic. We're _still_ scared." A pause. "Even though A is _dead_."


	3. Chapter 3

**February 29** **th** **2020**

The graveyard did not bring up happy memories for any of the girls. Too much had happened here; from seeing the video of Ian and Alison at the Kissing Rock, from Emily standing over what was thought to be Alison's grave in the middle of the night.

They all had to be here, though. For Aria.

Bouncing Grace on her hip, Alison let out a sigh. Both she and Emily hated bringing their daughters here, but they had no choice. Pam was in Philly for the day, and plus, it was probably time to take them to see Wayne's and Jessica's graves.

Besides Alison, Emily and the twins, only Hanna and Aria were there. The six of them walked along the path between rows of gravestones, all huddled together under a ceiling of black umbrellas that shielded them from the March rain.

* * *

 _November 28_ _th_ _2019_

Thanksgiving. They were going to eat at Emily's and Alison's, and Spencer had asked to bring Mona. At first, she was sure that her cousin was going to say no. But she'd been surprised; Em and Ali said they'd be delighted to have her, especially since Hanna and Caleb wouldn't be able to make it.

The two women didn't have much of a plan. For now, the idea was for Mona to distract Ezra and Aria, while Spencer used the time to go through his bag.

So there she was, digging through her best friend's husband's jacket pocket, searching for anything, anything at all that could help her and Mona's case.

Carefully, Spencer pulled out all the objects she could find, laying them out in front of her. Mona would soon start a conversation about Ezra's and Aria's favorite writers, meaning that they would be occupied long enough for the brunette to be able to take her time.

There was his wallet. A pair of black leather gloves. His keys. A pocket knife That was it. Spencer took out her phone, capturing every detail of each object in a photo. She opened his wallet, took a picture of the inside, too. There wasn't anything other than the usual in there. A few credit cards. Cash. His I.D. The only thing that stood out was a white slip of paper, neatly folded in half. Cautiously, Spencer opened it.

 _1/10_ was written in neat print.

* * *

 **February 29** **th** **2020**

The four women and two girls stood silently in front of the grave.

Hanna comfortingly laid her hand on Aria's shoulder while the smaller girl slowly began to shake.

After a few deep breaths, she finally asked, "Why are we here?"

Funnily enough, no-one could answer her.

* * *

 _November 28_ _th._ _2019_

Dinner was amazing. Shortly before they had all sat down, Spencer had grabbed Mona to show her the note.

" _1/10? What could that mean?" the petite brunette had asked._

" _It could be code. Or a date. Did anything significant happen in January 2010?" Spencer replied._

" _I don't know." With a sigh, Mona had stuffed the wallet back into the pocket. "Let's worry about that after dinner."_

Emily and Alison were beaming about their joint efforts. Only a second later, did the guests find out that there was another reason for their smile.

"We have decided a date for the wedding," Alison announced proudly.

"It will be on January 10th," Emily continued. "We'll have a beautiful winter wedding!"

While Aria and Ezra exploded in a bunch of _congratulations_ and _that is so great!_ 's, Spencer and Mona stared at each other in horror.

They didn't need to say anything to know that they were thinking the same thing.

 _He is going to ruin the wedding._

* * *

 **February 29** **th** **2020**

"I am happy that we decided to come here leap day," Aria whispered. "Because I will remember leap day as the day I visited his grave for the first time. And then I will have to come back, because I couldn't stand not to come, knowing that I came that day exactly the year before."

Emily and Alison glanced at each other, realizing that their friend was starting to ramble.

"And leap year only comes around once every four years. So I'll only think about his grave once every four years." The petite brunette paused. "Once every four years. I can handle that."

 _It doesn't work that way, Honey,_ Alison thought, this scene reminding her of Archer Dunhill. Except, Alison had even felt bad about keeping her distance from _his_ grave.

Carefully, Aria took a step forwards, resting her fingers on the carving in the gravestone.

 _Ezra Fitz. August 21st 1988 - January 11th 2020._ That was it. No words, no _beloved husband,_ no _dearly missed._ His parents had been too ashamed to write a message, Aria had been too shaken up by the betrayal.

Silently, Alison wondered whether she would need to order a tombstone for Spencer, as well.

* * *

 _December 6th 2019_

"Mona, what is going on?"

Spencer checked the clock. 5:49 AM. Of course, Spencer had already been up, just about to leave for a morning run, when suddenly the phone had rung.

"Calm down, Mona!" the brunette had spoken into her phone, waiting for the panic on the other end of the line to quiet down. "No tell me, where are you and what happened?"

She could hear the other girl take a deep breath. "I'm at home. I got an A-message."

"I'm on my way," Spencer told her as she stepped out of the door.

Ten minutes later, Spencer sat on a stool in Mona's apartment, staring at a doormat lying on the kitchen counter in front of them.

The message was printed in red letters on it.

 _Happy St. Nicholas Day. Back off. I've made you loser Mona before, and I will do it again. -A_

"He is going to frame me," Mona whispered from the stool next to hers, the fear written across her face surprising Spencer. Her fists clenched as she realized that Ezra was using Mona's greatest fear, and her motive to become the original A, against her. "He is going to make them hate me, he is going to make me lose my only friends. He will make me lose you."

"You will never lose me," Spencer reassured the other girl, resting her hand on her shoulder.

"A is talented at driving people apart," the smaller of the two retorted, looking up at her with large eyes, so beautiful that Spencer had no clue how she had never noticed them before.

Spencer leaned over, so that their faces almost touched. "This A is sloppy. Otherwise we wouldn't have figured him out by now. And." They were even closer now. "I will always stand up for you. Like I should have in high school."

Mona reached out her hand, pulling Spencer's head towards hers, so that their lips collided in the most magical way. Only then did she realize how long she's been waiting for this.

* * *

 **February 29** **th** **2020**

Alison stifled a groan as she recognized a familiar figure leaning on a tree a little distance away, unnoticed by the other girls.

"Excuse me for a moment," the blonde whispered into her wife's ear as she slowly separated herself from the group.

"Mona," she hissed. "What the heck are you doing here?"

The other girl just shrugged, which annoyed Alison even more.

"The guy literally held a knife to your throat," the teacher continued pressing, addressing a faint scar on the Hawaiian's neck. "There is a reason we didn't invite you to come. Are you trying to make this difficult for Aria?"

There was a moment of silence, until Mona said,"I just wanted to see it. He is dead because of me."

"You're not the one who killed him," Alison replied.

"I might as well have been."


	4. Chapter 4

**February 29** **th** **2020**

"Mona?"

The small Hawaiian turned away from the fuming Alison to look at a surprised Hanna leaning against a tree, Emily and the twins right behind her.

"Hey," was all she could think of to reply.

"Aren't you supposed to be watching Aria?" Alison accused. "I can deal with Mona."

"She wanted a moment alone, Ali," Emily softly told her wife. "He was her husband."

"You also don't have to 'deal' with Mona." Hanna rolled her eyes. Quickly, she grabbed her former best friend's hand. "Come on, Mona, let's go for a walk."

* * *

 _December 6_ _th_ _2019_

Neither of them were aware for how long they have been kissing. It felt like too soon when Spencer pulled away. For a second, Mona looked confused, but the confusion written across her features quickly turned into a look of panic as the other woman jumped to her feet, backing towards the door.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, retreating to the other side of the room. "I shouldn't have done that."

"No, no, don't apologize," Spencer breathed out, resisting the urge to pull the petite girl into a hug, to run her fingers through her hair, to breathe in her scent. How long had she gone without even knowing that she wanted to do that?

Mentally shaking herself, Spencer let out a frustrated groan. _She is really scared right now. I can't take advantage of that._ The only times she had seen Mona like that were when the girls had rescued her from the hole in the dollhouse… and when Mona had tried to throw Spencer off a cliff.

Suddenly, all memories from Junior year came rushing back, causing Spencer to suddenly feel nauseous. She had just kissed the person who had tormented her and her friends for a whole year. The person who tried to bring up Hanna's eating disorder by forcing her to eat half a dozen cupcakes. The person who replaced their food with worms. The person who gave Emily carbon monoxide poisoning. The person who hit Hanna with a _freaking_ car!

"I have to go," Spencer finally gasped, grabbing her purse, pushing past Mona, out of the front door.

* * *

 **February 29** **th** **2020**

"How is she?" Mona asked, softly, almost as if she were afraid of the answer.

"No better than when you last saw her." Hanna almost added, _which was twelve hours ago,_ but decided to keep quiet.

For a few minutes the two highschool friends walked through the trees and gravestones, appreciating each other's presence and silence.

"Are you ready to tell me what happened between you two?" Hanna finally asked.

I pained expression clouded the other girl's face. "I didn't even know that I was falling for her until it was already too late." It was difficult for the former doll shop owner to hide the emotions that threatened to drown her. "I just keep thinking that if I'd never kissed her that night…" Hanna's eyes widened. The fact that they had kissed was new information to her, but she didn't say anything and let Mona continue. "She'd be alright. Maybe, Ezra would even still be alive."

"I don't know if that would be a good thing," Hanna muttered.

* * *

 _December 7_ _th_ _2019_

Spencer turned over for what felt like the billionth time that night. For some reason, she was completely unable to sleep, the kiss from that afternoon playing over and over again in her mind. It made no sense. Nothing made sense.

Mona had been forgiven, but her actions not forgotten.

The kiss. Soft lips against her own. Gentle but firm. Solid and safe. Had Mona intended to kiss her all along? Or was it just the moment that had caused her to do so?

The tall brunette winced. Her best friend's _husband_ was the one to torture her and friends. As sloppy of an A he had been, Aria could be in serious danger right now. Before she knew it, Spencer found herself dialing the Fitz's number.

It rang for a moment. Fora few more, and Spencer felt her heart racing.

" _Spence?_ " A sleepy voice finally appeared on the other ended. Aria. " _Spence? It's three A.M. … Spencer? Are you hurt?_ "

It took a moment for the lobbyist to snap out of her relief and realize that her friend was speaking to her.

"No, no I'm fine," she managed to croak. "I just needed to hear your voice. To know you're O.K."

If this had been anyone else, they would have been pissed. But this was Aria, and after everything all of them had been through, Aria couldn't blame her.

" _Do you want me to come?"_ Spencer's friend suggested. The young Hastings was about to say yes when she heard Ezra's voice in the background.

" _Could you not? It's way too early. I am going back to sleep."_ There was this moment of silence that truly terrified Spencer, before her tormenter continued. " _And please be here when I wake up."_

" _You heard that, Spence?"_ Aria asked apologetically.

"Yeah," Spencer breathed, her heart still beating abnormally quickly. "Don't worry it's fine."

" _Okay, I'll call you later."_

Once Aria had hung up, Spencer's heart sank. She once thought that if Aria thought Spencer needed her, she'd come no matter what. If Aria would put Ezra over _her_ , Mona wouldn't stand a chance if Ezra was really going to frame her for being A.

Slowly, Spencer reached out to her night stand to grab her phone.

 _I meant what I said earlier._ She texted. _About me sticking up for you. I still mean it. He won't hurt you, i promise._

To her surprise, Spencer received a reply less than a minute later. It seemed like the other woman was getting about as much sleep as she was.

 _I know,_ was all Mona had written.

With a groan, Spencer turned over. Images flashed in front of her eyes, like a tape. Soft lips. Mona smiling, laughing, a beautiful sound. Mona the day before, Mona figuring out A's identity. Spencer and Mona holding each other after the dollhouse, clutching on to one another, seeking and finding comfort in the other's embrace.

Spencer's eyes sprang wide open. The dollhouse was five years ago.

How long exactly had she been harboring these feelings?

* * *

 **February 29** **th** **2020**

At first, the smell of coffee that hit hanna like a wave as soon as she entered the loft surprised her. Caleb was out with the baby, so no one was home to make it. Unless…

There she was. Spencer. For the first time in a month she was standing in the kitchen, holding a mug with both hands, sipping coffee out of it, before gently placing it on the counter.

With a shriek Hanna dropped her purse and rushed over to her friend to pull her into a hug, almost knocking her over in the process. "Spencer!"

"Han," the other girl gasped. " I can't breathe."

"Sorry!" Hanna pulled back. Gently, she stood on her tiptoes to kiss the former lobbyist on her forehead, just like Spencer had done after Hanna had been run over by Mona in Junior year. "I'm just glad you're up. Like up-up."

Of course she didn't mention that Spencer looked absolutely exhausted. Her hair was dull and tangled and there were dark rings under her eyes, which seemed empty and … haunted themselves at the same time.

When her friend didn't reply, Hanna reached into her pocket to pull out her phone. "I'm telling Mona and Alison that you're awake. We've all been so worried about you!"

However, Spencer hastily reached out to place her hand on that of her friend. "Don't. Please." her voice trembled. "They can't see me like this."

"They've seen you at worse," Hanna pointed out. When that evoked no reaction from Spencer, the fashion designer felt frustration build up. "Are you planning on going back to sleep again?"

Guilt and hurt spread across her friend's features. "I'm not planning anything. I don't mean to sleep so long, I don't want to be such a burden. And I'm trying, really. Please say you believe me when I say I'm trying."

Hanna's gaze softened. Squeezing Spencer's hand, she murmured, "Spence, we can get you help. We love you. You know that, right?"

"I love you, too," the other girl whispered. With dread, Hanna realized that the world of sleep was sucking her friend back in with dread.

With one hand she guided Spencer to the couch, with the other, she grabbed her friend's still warm coffee.

"Here, you go," Hanna soothed her best friend. "You're awake. You're making progress, Spencer. Please stay."

There was an intense silence in the room. Hanna's hope as well as her dread was palpable.

Finally, Spencer stated, "It hurts to be awake." She paused. Then, "Will you tell Mona I miss her?"

"Always," Hanna replied honestly, pulling her friend close so that her head was leaning on her shoulder. "Always, Spence."

* * *

 _December 7_ _th_ _2019_

It was evening, and Spencer had spent all day thinking. Planning. Finding ways to stop Ezra from ruining Alison's and Emily's wedding. It was so difficult for her to do so without thinking about Mona.

The kiss seemed to have forced Spencer to relive every memory that she had of the other girl; the good and the bad, the happy and the painful.

Spencer didn't know what was worse. That she had feelings for the petite Hawaiian that she didn't even know she could feel, or that, despite having everything the other girl had done to her in her mind, Spencer still wanted her.

Without thinking, Spencer pulled out her phone and began to dial. After only a few rings, Mona picked up.

"I have an idea. But I can't do it alone."


	5. Chapter 5

**February 29** **th** **2020**

Alison found herself racing up the steps to Hanna's loft, just like the day before. And the day before that, as well as the day before that. The text from Hanna was still fresh in her mind.

 _Spencer was awake. Like really awake. We talked._

Although Alison had noticed her friend's use of past tense, she was still hopeful. Hopeful to find Spencer awake and smiling. When was the last time she saw her cousin smile? Heard her laugh?

Emily, who had dropped off the twins at her mother's, comfortingly placed a hand on Alison's shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, Alison knocked. She'd come here so often that Hanna was probably going to give Ali her own key soon.

Suddenly, behind her Emily jumped.

"What are you doing here? Again?" Her wife demanded in a tone so that Ali spun around.

So that she stood face to face with Mona.

* * *

 _January 10_ _th_ _2020_

"Are we sure about this?" Mona asked. Spencer just tugged at the bottom of the blue dress Mona had picked with her and nodded. "Okay. Let's do this then."

They had tried everything to get as much information about Ezra's plans as possible.

Spencer had searched through his things multiple times. His apartment, his office, The Brew, everything, while Mona had called up all storage units in the area to find out whether anyone had rented one under the name Fitz or Fitzgerald - or, A. They got nothing.

Maybe they would have achieved something if Spencer had let Mona do more. But Spencer had been firm.

" _We can't risk the others being suspicious,"_ she had told her eager friend. " _Aria didn't believe me the first time I thought Ezra was A in high school, and if she thinks you are part of all this, she won't believe us now either."_

For a while, neither of the two were sure about what to do next. At first, Spencer had tried to convince Em and Ali to elope. Then, at least they'd already be married if Ezra would try anything.

The group had known and loved Ezra for almost a decade now; they needed to know for a fact that he was A before they could say anything, and the Mona didn't think that the pieces of evidence that she had gathered would convince them. It didn't mean that they couldn't do anything to delay his next attack.

" _We'll put the plan in his head,"_ Spencer had told Mona over the phone. " _We'll be one step ahead of him. We'll know where he is, when he is, and what he is doing and how to make sure that he can't hurt anyone."_

It had took a lot of time, and a lot of planning, until it was decided what to do. All it took was for Spencer to casually mention the unused room near the church, which controlled the lighting, music and projections on the screen of the ballroom where the wedding reception was going to take place. Ezra would to do the rest by himself to ruin the wedding.

Except, he wasn't going to ruin anything.

The special effects that Ezra would create later that evening would be recorded as codes, along with the images he was going to project and footage of the stalker controlling the room. Two copies of all this information were to be sent out; one copy to Spencer's phone, the other to Mona's.

After the wedding, they would finally be able to reveal A's identity.

Spencer felt the need to grab Mona's hand. To squeeze it to reassure the other woman that everything would be O.K.. But then she remembered that physical contact between the two was limited since the kiss. It had been an unspoken agreement between the two for the past month and a bit. They would figure out where they stood and what they were after Ezra was behind bars.

"Let's do this," Spencer echoed Mona as the two of them stepped inside the church for he ceremony.

* * *

 **February 29** **th** **2020**

"You _told_ her to come?" Alison growled in disbelief, accusingly staring at Hanna. Mona shifted uncomfortably in her chair.

"They mean more to each other than you think," the fashion designer retorted. "She wants to see Spencer get better as much as the rest of us do."

This unwelcome feeling that Hanna knew something Alison didn't bubbled up inside her. Doing her best to suppress it, Alison asked, "What did she say?"

"Not much. Just that she wishes she were awake more often. That she is trying." Hanna reached out to place her hand on Mona's, sympathy lacing her voice as she continued. "She misses you."

Ignoring that gesture, Mona let out an exhausted sigh. "I just wished she knew that it's O.K. to not be O.K.. Most of us here have killed someone before; we'd understand."

At the mention of murder, Alison's muscles tensed. Mona was still not forgiven for killing Charlotte, and the only reasons Alison had even considered inviting the murderess to her wedding were due to the anger she still held towards Charlotte for using her and as a favor to Spencer since the two had seemed to become really close before _that night_.

That, and the fact that until that night, all of her close friends, except for Spencer, also fell into the category of _killer_.

* * *

 _January 10_ _th_ _2020_

The ceremony had been beautiful, and uninterrupted. Emily and Alison had said their vows, with Grace and Lily looking incredibly adorable in their flower girl dresses.

Hanna, who had been the closest to Emily and seemingly the couples biggest fan, looked like she was going to burst with pride.

The wedding reception was amazing; everything about it was perfect. The food, the decoration, the music, the dancing, the people there. There was no way it could have gone any better.

Spencer felt comfortable enough to have a glass of champagne. While smiling and laughing and congratulating the newlyweds and re-telling all their favorite stories and reliving all their favorite moments, the tall brunette let the joyous atmosphere of the party engulf her, so that she almost missed Ezra subtly separating himself from the group. _Almost._

For some reason, she felt completely at ease. Ezra couldn't hurt them; they had it under control. Hours passed and no-one had gone home yet, with everyone with dancing and laughing and celebrating. Everything was alright.

Until a realization struck her. Where on earth was Mona?

A slight panic began to spread within Spencer as she scanned the room, frantically hoping to see the small brunette in her pretty purple dress and dark curls.

Her heart skipped sank- no, fell would be a more accurate description, as the familiar _bing_ of a new notification cut the air.

A text. From Mona.

 _You need to tell_ _all_ _of them that Ezra is A NOW!_

* * *

 **February 28** **th** **2020**

"She was awake half an hour ago," Hanna frowned, staring down at the bed where Spencer lay curled up. Mona sat at the head, gently running her fingers through her friends hair.

"It feels wrong," the petite brunette stated. "To watch her like this. While she sleeps."

Alison let out a bitter laugh. "It feels wrong that we're awake and she's sleeping. It feels wrong that Aria is a widow and the rest of us are not. It feels wrong that neither of you didn't trust us enough to tell us what the _hell_ was going on!" The last few words were directed at Mona, slicing through her skin and heart.

"You didn't believe her the first time she thought Ezra was A! Then he was only a _boyfriend._ Why would you believe her now? Especially since he and Aria were _married_ , for God's sake," the former doll shop owner pointed ou.

"She was wrong. Ezra wasn't A at that time!" Alison retorted.

"We don't know that. There is evidence that he's been helping A for a long time. The book probably wasn't the only reason he was spying on you, you know. There is a chance he was working with Charlotte."

Hanna's voice was dull as she spoke. "Too bad the only two people who can tell us if he was are dead."

The room fell silent after that.

* * *

 _January 10_ _th_ _2020_

Spencer didn't tell Aria, or Emily, or Alison. But she did tell Hanna.

At first, she didn't think the skeptical blonde would believe her.

"Are you sure?" She'd asked. So Spencer showed her everything. Every picture, every receipt. Told her about how Ezra was the only one not to drink the drugged champagne. How they only received A-messages when Ezra was not around.

The only detail that Spencer decided not to mention was the kiss.

After a while, Hanna grabbed her purse and made her way towards the exit.

"Where are you going?" Spencer called as she followed her friend, quickening her pace to keep up.

"Finding Mona. She could be in danger."


	6. Chapter 6

_January 10_ _th_ _2020_

" _Mona could be in danger."_

Hanna's words kept on repeating themselves in Spencer's mind, over and over and over again, making Spencer more nauseous than she'd ever felt in her life as she unlocked the door to the passenger's seat of Hanna's car.

" _Mona could be in danger."_

Spencer hadn't even considered that until she saw the text. Trembling, she watched Hanna start the engine.

" _Mona could be in danger."_

How _could_ she have not considered it?

"The game," she groaned out loud to Hanna, who was speeding on the short drive to where Ezra was supposed to be. "I saw firsthand what the game did to her last time. How could I drag her into it again?"

"You didn't ask her to get into the head of -A," the blonde responded, her usually bubbly voice laced with guilt and sorrow. "You didn't ask her to relive all those memories."

There was a pause, before she continued. "I'm more worried about what he is going to do to her rather than what she will do to others."

 _What he is going to do to her._

Shakily, Spencer pulled out her phone.

"We should think before calling her," Hanna warned. "For all we know, she is hiding and the ringing could expose her to him."

Nodding, the lobbyist placed her phone back in her pocket. They arrived, anyway.

Not wasting a second, Spencer jumped out of the car and raced towards the entrance of where they would soon find Ezra - and hopefully, a live Mona.

Faster than she's ever had to run before, Spencer raced up the steps leading to the room. The brunette cursed. Whose idea was it to have the control room on the third floor?

Finally, she stood in front of the plain white door. Terror racked her body.

What if Ezra already hurt Mona by now?

The hands that pushed the keys into the lock trembled. Hanna, who'd appeared behind her just a few seconds ago, placed her hand on Spencer's shoulder.

Finally, the door made a clicking sound as Spencer unlocked it, swinging open so that it hit the wall in the apartment with a _thud._

The fact that that was the only sound to be heard within the room sent chills down Spencer's spine, freezing her to the spot.

Hanna grabbed her hand comfortingly as the two friends stormed into the apartment.

To find it completely empty.

"That's it I'm calling her," Spencer yelled, panicked, pressing the number that she had on speed dial by now.

Hanna was silent as Spencer counted each ring before Mona finally picked up.

" _Hey,"_ she breathed.

With a sigh of relief, Spencer started, "Mona, where ar-"

" _Welcome are rebels eternally, how observant under sea ears,"_ the other woman interrupted, sounding shrill and scared over the phone. In the background, the driving of cars on a road was heard.

Nothing like the Mona Hanna and Spencer knew.

Both of their eyes widened as they exchanged glances.

" _Hello Emily, like please."_

"Mona!" Hanna yelled, but she'd already hung up.

Spencer dropped the phone, which landed on the floor of the apartment with a _thud._

"Fuck," the brunette whispered.

* * *

Back in the car, Spencer sunk into her seat. Her head hurt so much it felt like she was throbbing, her heart was racing so fast that she thought it would explode. Or, if that was really going to have been the last time she heard Mona's voice, it would be more likely to implode. To collapse.

"She was trying to tell us something," the young Hastings whispered. "'Welcome are rebels eternally, how observant under sea ears.' That makes no sense."

Suddenly, Hanna shot up. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "It does! Do you have paper?"

Nodding, Spencer pulled a notepad and a pen out of her bag. Neatly, she printed out the phrase Mona had just said. Underneath, she added, _Hello Emily, like please._

"She used code," the fashion designer pointed out. "She couldn't say what she had to say because she was with A, but there was something she needed to tell us."

Hanna leaned over to take the pen and underlined the first letter of each word. Spencer silently watched as each of the underlined letters formed a new word.

 _e_

"He's taking her to a warehouse," Spencer breathed as Hanna pulled out her phone. "Are there any nearby?"

The blonde nodded. "Tons. There is no way we can go to all of them"

Spencer's breathing quickened as panic overtook her. "How many are abandoned?"

"Only one. Let's go there"

Suddenly, both girls stiffened. Neither of them had to underline anything to know what the last sentence would mean.

 _Hello Emily, like please._

 _H e l p_.

"I'm calling the others," Hanna gasped.

* * *

Spencer flew out of the car before Hanna even had the chance to fully stop.

The warehouse was smaller than she'd expected, but no less intimidating.

The rusty gate opened with a sickening _creak,_ sending chills down the young lobbyist's body as she took in the sight of the old building. The unpainted gray walls were barely sees under the thick layers of ivy, and the ground was covered with weeds and thorn bushes.

But with Mona in mind, it was easy to ignore them scratching at her legs as she ran towards to door. Its heavy metal seemed to warn Spencer to stay away.

As soon as she pushed the door open, relief flooded her.

She heard voices. _Mona's_ voice!

"You'll never get away with this."

But as soon as Ezra's laugh hit her ears, a wave of terror almost knocked the young Hastings over.

"Oh please. Once you're dead, who's going to stop me?"

At that, Spencer began to run. Racing up one of the staircases as fast as she could, her pace quickening as she heard Mona's startled scream.

The sight of Ezra, holding Mona against the railing of the balcony with a knife positioned at her throat caused Spencer to double over.

"No," she gasped.

When Ezra looked up, slightly lowering the kife, Spencer thought she'd lost the advantage of surprise. But Mona gained it by using the moment of distraction to punch him in the face. Their former English teacher groaned in pain, letting Mona go for a few seconds to touch his face with his free hand.

But just as the petite brunette stumbled to her feet in a strangely clumsy way, Ezra threw himself on her, trapping her with his body.

Only when Spencer saw the blood on the smaller woman's leg, staining her dress and the ground, did she realize that there was no way Mona would be able to escape their tormentor's grip on her own.

"Please, Ezra," the tall brunette begged. "You have known me for almost a decade. You have loved _Aria_ for almost a decade." At the mention of Aria, Ezra pushed a squirming Mona's head to ground, causing her to let out a pained grunt, and repositioned the knife at her throat, pressing it against her skin.

Spencer's panic and terror doubled at the sight of droplets of blood forming on the other woman's skin, fury pulsing through her at the sound of Mona's whimper.

"Ezra, stop," she began, despite knowing how broken she must sound as every emotion possible to feel began to rise like the most dangerous storm existing. "We- we can work this out, just… just let her go. Plea-"

She was interrupted by Aria, who stood at the back of the hall, with Hanna behind her, along with Emily and Alison, who were still in their wedding dresses.

"Ezra?"

At the sight of his wife, a fire was ignited in Ezra's eyes. Making him unrecognizable to Spencer.

"I'm doing this for **you**!" he spat.


	7. Chapter 7

_January 10th 2020_

"I'm doing this for you," Ezra repeated, more firmly, while challengingly eying his wife.

Preparing her muscles, waiting for a moment of distraction, Spencer watched him as he continued holding the knife against Mona's throat, watched as her skin around it gruadually stained red.

The former lobbyist looked so small under him; she seemed so lost when she struggled to keep her eyes open and when a strange fearful expression was painted on her face as she did her best to keep still, knowing all too well that a single move from her side could be the death of her.

 _Please,_ Spencer silently prayed. _Take the knife away from her._

Even with all the thoughts flying trough her head, each one confused and terrified and broken, the young Hastings knew one thing.

She had to. Get. HIM. Away. From. Mona.

Aria, wide-eyed and still frozen in place, opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again when Emily spoke.

"Get **off** her," the newly wed shrieked as more droplets of blood gathered on Mona's neck, forming a small stream.

"The police are on their way," Alison added in a dangerously low voice, her tone resembling that of a tiger before killing its prey. "You will be better off if you her leave her alone _now_ and get the hell out of here!"

At the mention of the police, the former English teacher looked up, loosening his grip on the knife, pulling it away from the fragile body under him.

At that movement, Spencer took her chance.

It all happened so quickly.

Before anyone could blink, the tall brunette had lunged forwards, pulling her tormentor off the smaller woman, causing him to fall over backwards, landing on the floor with a _thud_.

And so began a desperate struggle for the weapon that Fitz held.

Spencer not only had the upper hand through the surprise, but also was a whole lot stronger than him, and was able to grab at the knife easily.

But Ezra still had it, and was not afraid to use it.

With a cry, he plunged it into his attacker's upper thigh, eliciting a scream of pain.

This sound, however, awakened all the others from their frozen state, causing them to spring into action.

Hanna jumped to Mona's side, running her fingers through her friend's hair.

"Shhhhh," the blonde whispered comfortingly as Mona opened her mouth, forming a river of words with her lips. Gently, Hanna took of the scarf she'd worn to the wedding and pressed it against the open wound. "Don't try to talk."

Meanwhile, Emily and Alison cane to Spencer's aid.

Alison grabbed Ezra by his shoulders, using as much strength as she could muster in an attempt to push his body to the floor, whilst Emily knocked her fist into his face.

Startled, the owner of The Brew let go of the knife embedded in Spencer's thigh, using one of his hands to push Alison away from him and the other to touch his face.

While suppressing a cry of pain, Spencer pulled the weapon out of her leg, and plunged it deep into Ezra's stomach, and pulling it right out again, shortening the little amount of life he had left.

* * *

Veronica used to read out Peter Pan to Spencer when she was little. The whole story fascinated her; the Indians, the mermaids, the pirates. But there was one line that stood out to her in particular, this one line that declared the death of Captain Hook that was embedded into Spencer's brain the moment she took a life.

* * *

There, on the dirty warehouse floor, lay Hook, bleeding and groaning and dying, as a trembling Wendy stood over him, John and Michael and Tinkerbell and Peter behind her.

"Ezra…" Aria gasped, tears freely running down her cheeks, her expression torn as of she didn't know whether to hate or pity her fatally wounded husband. "I can't believe this… why?"

Using his last strength, Futz turned his head to face her. "I love you, Aria," he groaned, and for a second Aria's gaze almost softened. The sympathy she had for him didn't last long, as he continued. "But those... _bitches_ deserve it."

And thus perished Ezra Fitz.

* * *

The murder was ruled self defense. Spencer and Mona had the wounds to prove it.

The two were rushed to hospital. Mona into surgery, whilst Spencer's stab wound needed stitches.

Hanna stayed with her tall friend, holding her hand as the doctor treated the wound, looking into Spencer's glassy eyes, hoping to detect some kind of change in expression.

After long hours of silence, Spencer asked, "What if she won't make it?"

Noticing the other woman's trembling limbs, Hanna gently pulled her into an embrace. "Mona is strong. She wouldn't die on us in a million years, Spence."

Quietly, the former lobbyist let out sob. "I won't be able to live with myself if she dies."

* * *

Hanna left Spencer's room to check on Aria.

The former lobbyist used the opportunity to get the hell out of there.

So soon she found herself roaming the halls, the numbness of her thoughts gradually wearing off

Only when she passed a mirror did the image of Ezra's face flash through her head.

 _Murderer,_ this voice chanted in the back of her mind. _Murderer, murderer, murderer._

 _How could you do that to Aria?_ The voice accused. _You should have told her from the beginning. You could have warned her._

 _And how,_ the rant continued, _could you let this happen to Mona? Why didn't you look after her better? You KNEW Ezra was dangerous… you KNEW that Mona knew Ezra was dangerous… and you KNEW_

Before she realized where she was, Spencer found herself asking for Mona.

"I have to see her." Desperation laced her voice as she explained this to the nurse. "I have to see her _alive._ "

"I'm sorry, Ma'am," the hospital employee replied sympathetically, but sternly. "She's still in surgery."

"Please," she begged, but was soon interrupted by Hanna's voice.

"Spencer?"

Quickly, the athletic brunette turned around and raced towards the exit, while still suppressing the image of Ezra bleeding out onto the floor.

 _Murderer, murderer, murderer._

 _Stop it,_ Spencer told herself. _Stop thinking like that._

The young politician burst through the doors, stumbling out into the parking lot.

 _Murderer, murderer, murderer._

The betrayal in Aria's eyes, the shock and fear and sorrow when her husband said his final words haunted Spencer while she unlocked her car and Stepped into the driver's side.

 _He would have killed us. He would have killed Mona!_

The memory of sitting in Ezra's car, asking him to help her keep Aria safe plagued the brunette's mind as she opened the door of her car and threw herself out of the vehicle and through the door of the barn.

 _Murderer, murderer, murderer._

This wasn't a stranger she killed. This was Fitz. Fitz who Spencer's best friend _loved_.

Suddenly, Spencer was back in the dollhouse, red paint dripping off her shirt, screaming at the camera.

The next moment she was back in her room in the house, the dirt spread across her sheets, an _A-_ message in the middle of the pile.

Before she knew it, she was back at the top of the cliff, trembling and breathing heavily as Aria held her, watching an unmoving Mona at the bottom.

Spencer had relived this memory a thousand times, over and over again. This was the first time she'd wanted to go back to that moment, climb down the rocks and press her lips against that of the former A, and hold her close.

She wish she had known how limited Mona's time would be.

The intelligent, beautiful strong woman Spencer had grown to love - in what way, she wasn't quite sure of yet - was going to die, Spencer was almost sure of it.

After all, how could one survive having their throat slit?

She'd meant what she'd said to Hanna earlier. That if Mona died, Spencer would not be able to live with herself.

 _Murderer, murderer, murderer._

She just needed to turn off her thoughts.

* * *

Half an hour later, Alison entered the barn to find her cousin sleeping on the couch, still fully dressed, with an open copy of _Peter Pan_ on the floor beside her.

Gently, the blonde picked up a blanket lying on a nearby bench and draped it over the sleeping figure.

 _Found her,_ she texted Hanna, whilst pulling a chair close.

"It's over," the teacher whispered. "You did it, Spence, it is over for real this time."

She got no response.

* * *

 **A/N: so this turned it to be a lot longer than intended… so thanks for sticking around :)**

 **There will be one more chapter to wrap things up, but then it will be over (finally)**


	8. Chapter 8

_January 12_ _th_ _2020_

Everything was a little blurry when Mona opened her eyes.

"You're awake!" Relief flooded Hanna's features as she reached out to squeeze her friend's hand. "God, Mona, never scare us like that again! He goddamn _slit_ your throat! Why on earth would you sneak off like that?"

Sneak off?

As the memories suddenly returned, Mona reached up a hand to clasp her throat. Shit. Grasping the sheets of the bed, she turned to Hanna.

The distressed brunette opened her mouth, but when she tried to make out the words she need to say, there was no sound.

"You won't be able to speak for a while," Hanna gently told her. Noticing the panicked look on her Mona's face, she reached into her purse and pulled out a notepad and pen.

The other woman quickly grabbed it and began scribbling barely legible words onto the paper before handing it back to Hanna.

The blonde's face fell as she read.

"Em?" she called out into the hallway, her voice sounding hoarse, as if she were trying to choke back a sob.

The newlywed appeared in the doorway, sending her friend a worried glance. "Yeah?"

"Ezra wasn't planning some petty stunt to ruin your wedding," Hanna gasped. "He had an entire _terrorist attack_ in mind."

" _What?_ " Emily's eyes widen. "What do you mean?"

The fashion designer held up the notepad. "He had a freaking _bomb._ " She was almost yelling now, anger and shock evident in her voice. "He was going to blow us _all_ up! Our families, your wife and your daughters, my husband and my baby, Ezra knew us for years and he was going to _blow_ us to _pieces_!"

"Oh my God," Emily managed to say. "Is that why Mona left the wedding?" Mona nodded. "Wait, does that mean there is still a _bomb_ in the church?"

When no-one replied, , the athletic woman pulled out her phone. "I'm calling the police."

* * *

 _January 18_ _th_ _2020_

As soon as Alison entered her home, Emily jumped up from where she was sitting on the couch. "Is she awake?"

The hope in her voice almost broke the former Queen Bee's heart.

"No change," she muttered.

Biting her lip, Emily sat back down. "Oh."

"It can't go on like this," Alison continued, a bitter tone lacing her voice. "She won't eat, she barely showers. She just can't take care of herself anymore! Heck, we haven't even seen her awake since she left the hospital. It's been a goddamn week!"

"We can try finding another therapist," her wife suggested. "Another doctor? Someone who ca-"

"It won't work," Ali interrupted. "We've already tried everything to wake her up."

"Well, what are we going to do?"

"She could stay with us?" The blonde tried as she sat down next to her wife, knowing all too well that was not going to happen.

The front door opened, but neither woman paid attention to Hanna, who was entering.

"Ali," Em gently placed her hand on her thigh. "We both work. We have twins, and the apartment is crowded enough when mom comes over to babysit them. And besides, we don't have a guest room or anywhere for her to sleep."

"Where else would she stay? Toby's busy, Jason's MIA, Aria is some kind of shell of her former self, no way I'm leaving my cousin with _Mona_ , and-"

"She can stay with me," Hanna butted in.

"-and Hanna has an infant," Alison finished.

"Which is why we have another room," the designer pointed out. "We can move the baby's crib into my bedroom and set up the old sofa-bed Caleb and bought for his mom for Spencer."

Emily and Alison exchanged glances. Finally, Emily said, "Okay. Let's do this."

* * *

 _January 24_ _th_ _2020_

Alison's purse fell to the floor with a _thud_ , causing Spencer to jump. _Awake_ Spencer.

"Oh my gosh," the blonde gasped as she rushed into Hanna's loft and embraced her cousin in a hug. "Spence!"

The brunette stiffly put an arm around Ali, shuddering slightly at the contact.

"Spence," Ali tried again. "Spence look at me. You're awake." A pause. "No-one has seen you since… since…"

Before she had the chance to respond, Spencer asked, "Is she dead?"

The teacher blinked in confusion.

"Mona," the other woman whimpered, desperation filling her voice. "Is Mona dead?"

Ali's eyes widened, causing Spencer to shift away.

"Don't tell me," she sleepily whispered. "The answer will kill me."

"Alive," the blonde quickly told her. "Mona is perfectly alive."

At first, it seemed like the former lobbyist was frozen. But soon tears began flowing, coming with a smile.

After a few moments of silent tears, Spencer finally mumbled a few incomprehensible apologies, something along the lines of being an inconvenience, a complication.

"Of course you're not a burden," Alison immediately told her. "Hanna was more than ready to let you sleep in the baby's room!" She reached out to squeeze her friend's hand. "I'm just happy you are awake. I miss you, Spence."

Yet another awkward moment of silence passed, until the brunette asked about Aria.

Emily, who just appeared in the doorway, let out a sad, choked laugh. "She just lost her _husband_." Pausing for a second, the coach looked Spencer in the eye. "And her best friend."

Alison knew that Emily hadn't meant that as an accusation, but she still didn't speak to her wife the whole drive home.

* * *

 _February 4_ _th_ _2020_

"Hey," Mona greeted Hanna as her friend opened the door, but immediately reached to her bandaged throat afterwards.

"Hey," the blonde replied, so that Mona noticed the sympathy in her voice. She absolutely hated it.

Mona had been lucky; Ezra hadn't cut her vocal chords. That didn't mean it didn't hurt to speak though.

Wordlessly, the two women made their way to Spencer's room.

Spencer's hair was sprawled out on the pillow, only halfway visible since the tall brunette usually hid half of her head with her blanket.

Carefully, Mona picked it up and pulled it down a little, gazing at the unmoving form of her… her… her friend? Crush? Lover? Whichever one it was, the smaller girl missed her… missed her so incredibly much.

"When we were trying to trap Ez- _him_ , it was like Spencer was my other half," she confessed, ignoring the concerned look the blonde threw her.

"So why didn't you include your _other_ _half_ on your little mission to face Ezra?" Hanna accused, causing Mona to flinch.

"I- I wanted her to love me."

The designer blinked in confusion. "What?"

"If… if I could have defused the bomb, and stopped Ezra by myself, Spencer… she would see me as a hero. She'd accept me the wa-"

A violent cough interrupted the petite brunette. Hanna placed a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Mona," she whispered gently. "Spencer didn't like to admit it, but she does admire you. I could tell whenever she spoke about you, whenever she saw you. She respects you and-"

"I put her there," Mona suddenly blurted. "I was reckless and I put her where she is now. She has been awake lately! She doesn't deserve this. Any of it."

* * *

 **March 1** **st** **2020**

Mona was racing up the stairs into Hanna's apartment. Ignoring Alison's glares as she pushed past the other woman through the door, the lobbyist made her way straight to the spare room, barely bothering to say hello.

It was perhaps time, the petite brunette thought, to face her guilt of putting the other woman. Perhaps time, to stop trying to be the hero, and start being a human.

Carefully, she climbed onto the bed and lay next to Spencer, gazing at the unmoving form, going over everything that she'd say to her if she'd ever get the chance.

* * *

Everything was a little blurry when Spencer opened her eyes.

After living in the dark for so long, it took her a moment to adjust to being able to see again. And once she did so, the thoughts came rushing back.

 _Murder,_ she told herself, almost angrily.

Her head hurt. Honestly, she hated waking up with a burning passion. Partially because of the stiffness of her body, but mostly because of the ache that came with the returning thoughts.

Only after a few minutes of adjusting to awakeness did she notice the head of hair on the pillow next to hers, the sleeping body right beside her.

Without hesitation, the brunette wrapped her arms around the sleeping beauty.

For the first time since she saw Mona bleeding out on the floor, Spencer held the other woman safe in her arms.

For the first time since she saw Mona bleeding out on the floor, she fully believed she would be able to stay awake.

* * *

 **A/N: ok so that's it! I guess it was a little rushed… but I am really happy to be finished with this, so… oh well. See you soon! :)**


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